Rainy Day Reading

It's raining outside which is great for the morning run with the cross country kids, not that I can keep up with them. My garden is enjoying the extra water. Living in a desert makes gardening slightly more difficult. Today, I don't have to worry about it.

After that, the reasons to appreciate the rain drop off. I'll admit I've never been a fan of grayness. Seattle would be a disaster for me ten months of the year. Beautiful city, like visiting, happy to leave again. I like light, lots of light, the brighter the better.

So, on dreary days, I chill and look for stuff that looks interesting to read.

Runner's World has an article on Exercise and Weight Loss: As Good for Women as Men. Kind of strikes me as one of those 'well, duh' items but the first line caught my attention and sucked me in. "The popular literature sometimes tells women that weight-loss is harder for them, especially exercise-induced weight loss."  As you might expect, a food fight is breaking out in the comments section.

Running Times has a couple of fun photo essays. The first, on building balance, had me chuckling. Here is the article: Better Balance in Four Minutes. I chuckled because I help coach junior high - they're all knees and elbows. We're happy if we can keep them vertical after a growth spurt.

The other one, Attainable Dream: Training In Kenya, was interesting. I'm planning a trip to Kenya for one, maybe two books. While I intend on living there for at least a couple of months, I doubt I'll spend time in the hotels. My training might well take a hit as I find a way to contribute while I'm there, plus taking the time to learn how their society is arranged. One thing I've discovered about my writing is I can't put down a word if I'm not in the head of my characters. I don't understand Kenyans enough yet to write them in depth and authentically. Still, the photos are vey motivating.

Have a great day out there and run gently.

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Trail of Second Chances

Yay! Trail of Second Chances, my second book, is officially launched. Don't know if it's hit iBook yet but it's up at Amazon, print and ebook, B&N, as well as all the other retailers.

Are you reading Lauren Fleshman's Blog?

Lauren Fleshman is absolutely one of my favorite athletes, not because of what she does on the track or roads, but by her integrity. The lady tells it straight, often with a huge dollop of humor.

A case in point for integrity. This article, Why A Convicted Doper as the USA Team Coach is a Bad Idea.

Money quote:

Zero Tolerance was a big deal to me. It indicated that my governing body cared about restoring our image. It sent a strong message to an impressionable, high achieving me, and influenced my decisions to remain clean. I am part of a generation that has been tested a zillion times more than any group before me. It’s been a pain in the ass but worth it. People would still cheat, but now it would be harder and the world knew it. USATF would out you, even if you were our biggest star, and they backed it up with actions. Should I be lucky enough to win an Olympic Medal, I wanted the chance to do so without the global assumption that I was dirty and USATF was covering up for me. It meant that anyone who represented the USA would be under a microscope. That, for the sake of all of our reputations, we would not be put side to side with cheaters and look guilty by association. As a clean athlete, this meant everything to me.

Go read the whole article. Then read her blog, often.

And for fun, track down the Runner's World column she wrote on the 5K versus the marathon. It's funny, with a dash of truth.

Wine, Whiskers, and Wags

I was drinking last night, but it was for a good cause. Honest.

Last night, the Lewis-Clark Animal Shelter held its annual fundraiser. I've gone every year except one, from the first one that was hosted by Basalt Cellars. Last night, my wife (the Director of Operations) and I were the guests of Carol and Arnie Beckman, patrons of the shelter who purchased a table.

For those not familiar with the concept, Wine, Whiskers, and Wag is a night of sampling locally crafted libations. Instead of a sit-down meal, we mingled and met friends. The food was varied and tasty - more on that later and, unlike last year, there were options other than wine as artisan beers and a hard cider were offered. For those that don't imbibe, soft drinks and water were available.

There is a silent auction - two, actually - with an assortment of items ranging for artwork to a rifle scope, jewelry to hand tools. I only bid on a couple of items this year and didn't win any. I also entered to win the booze barrel, which was stocked with a range of whiskeys, tequila, vodka, and the like. Fortunately I didn't win. Four years ago, I did and, even sharing, it was more than I could handle.

I did win a bottle of wine, from Clearwater Canyon, a 2010 Syrah. Karl and Coco, the winemakers, were there and chatting, though Karl was losing his voice. I sampled their Renaissance Red. A very nice blend, very pleasant. I tried to talk to Karl about the wine but his voice was fading fast. I'm looking forward to trying the Syrah - and visiting them to learn more.

The Cider House sponsored one of the tasting tables, driving down from Pullman. They brought their sweetest cider. Tasty and went very well with the hot wings from Zone 208. The wings were spicy hot - though not sweat-on-the-brow hot. I'm thinking I'll volunteer my services as a taste-tester for hotness.

Jollymores was there - Donna and I have visited their restaurant and enjoyed it. It was nice to see them there making a nice impression. They had the broadest spread of food, serving a pork tenderloin with raspberry sauce but having hummus (two types), fresh veggies (very welcome as no one else had fruits or veggies), pita chips, and bread.

We had dessert from Jillybean and a new-to-us cake-maker, Julie Frazey of Frazy's Crazy Cakes, while the live auction went off. Lots of great items supplied by local businesses were available and people were bidding with enthusiasm. Both desserts were tasty.

I did donate some money for new Kuranda beds - they ran an intermission where the auctioneer solicited donations. Nice guy but he needs some training on the intermission process. It's not an auction. He was dropping the price so fast to generate interest that a person sitting at our table had to ask to give more money than the current bid.

Carol Moore, one of the committee members that set up the event, had no problem taking the larger donations. She seemed to be everywhere, always with a smile. Joyce Keefer was in constant motion, too, helping where needed. Like Carol, Joyce wore a friendly smile all night. Wonderful ladies.

Speaking of the Kuranda beds - if you have an older dog, these are a neat item to ease achy bones. The beds sit above the floor and made of chew-proof materials. In a shelter environment, they keep the dogs off pads on the concrete, keeping them warmer and more comfortable. I don't know if they made enough on The Furry Fund intermission to supply each kennel with one.

The night ended with dancing to a live band, High Street. I don't dance (or, at least not well) but some of the folks that were on the floor could move. Fun to watch.

A special thanks to Lonnie Ells - he's a board member for the Shelter and ran the 'bank'. That's not the most glamorous job but Lonnie does it every year, cheerfully, even when the equipment was balky.

Mostly, a very large thank you from the people and animals of the Lewis-Clark Animal Shelter to all the people that so graciously donated time to visit, who contributed to the auctions, who volunteer at the shelter.

One of the guests made a point of coming over to my wife early in the evening. Her family adopted Payton, a border collie mix several years ago. Payton was a skinny-as-a-rail dog who had been abandoned. Donna worked with the family, looking for the right dog to fit with them. There are four kids in the family, so they wanted an active dog.

They picked Payton. This year, on a vet visit, skinny Payton weighed in 14 pounds above her normal weight. The vet cautioned them that a large weight gain could be a problem but, given her normal low weight, it was nice to see some extra meat on her bones.

Payton's owner, a wonderfully pleasant lady, said she went home and kept watch over the dog. She watched as one child played with Payton - and rewarded the dog with a cookie. Another did the same thing. Border collies love to work/play. They don't need cookies for encouragement but Payton certainly wasn't discouraging it, either.

Dinner time arrived. Three different people, including the Dad, fed Payton dinner.

Weight gain explained. I suspect that Payton will be on a slightly restricted treat schedule but the story made my wife smile. She loves to hear the success stories, of happy dogs that aren't pets any more, but part of the family.

As the guy married to the Director of Operations, it is heart-warming to see your support for the Shelter and all the people associated with it.

Thank you.

Group Run in Asotin, Tuesdays & Thursdays

Any of you junior high or high school runners that would like to jump in for a run, there's a group run Tuesday and Thursday mornings. All runners, regardless of ability, are welcome.

Currently, there are athletes from Asotin, Clarkston, and Lewiston participating.

The runs start at Swallows Nest in Clarkston in the park along the Snake River. Distances vary - I stay short and run with the young runners - the older kids have been known to rocket off.

Fun starts at 7:30 am.

Summer Training for Junior High Cross Country Runners, Part II

Play it forward

Kids are naturals for trails and the variation is good for growing bodies. Since younger athletes are focused on the fun aspects of running – kinetic movement that feels good, group play, and exploration of both the world around them and themselves.

I emphasized the feel good above for a reason. I came across an interesting study from the Loyola University Medical Center. The study demonstrated that youth athletes from high income families were 68 percent more likely to develop an overuse injury. The two biggest differentiation points? Focusing on a single athletic activity and less free play.

People do more of what makes them happy when given a chance. If we want the kids to keep running, we need to find ways to make it pleasurable. Summer running at the junior high level should not be about training for the next season. Every run should finish with the same result – a child that wants to go out and do it again.

Stack enough of these repeated play efforts together and you have a young person who, while enjoying the activity, is much fitter than when the summer started, cheerfully so. That’s also a runner that will probably show up in the fall, ready to go.

Will they be faster? It depends – did they grow longer and taller, or put on weight from natural growth, or perhaps even detrain a bit from a previous season?

In the long run, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care how brilliant the kid is as a runner, he or she isn’t going to get a scholarship in running, not at 13. And if their sole purpose is to win every race, they are (almost certainly) going to be disappointed. With a single exception, there is always somebody faster. And that one exception comes with an expiration date. Ask any of the former world record holders. . .

Which leads to the next point . . .  

Ditch the watch

It’s summer. Adults may need to function on tight time schedules. It keeps the boss happy and food on the table. Kids don’t have bosses. They have friends, coaches, parents. None of those are bosses.

Telling a young runner that “it’s 7 a.m.  – time to get up and run 6 miles at tempo pace and no slacking” is a great way to make a young runner think “Yeah? Make me!” You might get results for a while but eventually they’ll decide they just don’t wanna – and just how are you going to make them?

Instead, have them jump in with a group of other kids – mix in some of the coaches and any other parents that would like to go for a morning meander. Some of the kids will rip off into the distance. That’s okay, as long as it’s their choice. Others will literally meander. They’ll stop, start, sniff a few roses. That’s okay, too.

I used to run with one of my daughters on the trails in and around San Diego. One of our favorite trails was the Rose Creek trail. It was relatively flat and not too long but there were a dozen little side trails. She’d be running next to me, all 4’8” of her, and she’d look over and see an unfamiliar path.

“What’s this way?” she’d asked and bolt off. At one point or another, we hit every one of those side trails. And had a blast doing it.

Speaking of which . . .

Encourage the kids to get out on trails, gravel roads, grass, anything but pavement.

Pavement is boring, boring, boring. Worse, it’s hard on the developing joints. American athletes spend entirely too much time on pavement.

Trails encourage you to run differently, using different little stabilizer muscles for the varied terrain. It also forces you to move forward toward your toes and to flex a bit more in the knees. And since the footing is a lot more uneven, balance improves as the neuromuscular system learns how to manage the trail. All that balance requires a strong core – which, unsurprisingly, builds in response to the new stresses. Running Times has a great article on all the good things that happen to bodies on trails.

For me, the biggest advantage of trails is playing, bombing down a really runnable hill or testing myself powering up a short, sharp incline. I’ve been known to get distracted by elk, moose, deer, bears, or just a pretty bunch of flowers.

We’re natural animals and getting back into that environment does good things for the inside of our heads. Deena Kastor had a good point about that a couple of months ago that I talked about in a blog post.

Finally, what if they don’t want to run?

You just might have to accept it. Acknowledge it and try to find out why. Maybe they’re going to try out a different sport like football for the boys or volleyball for the girls. Take a deep breath and encourage them to stay active. Yes, they may be wonderfully talented runners but this is a time for exploration, not just of the world on trails or how their bodies react to the sport of running. Give them the freedom to explore other interests.

There’s a good chance they’ll be back but you can’t force them. What you can do is offer an environment that welcomes them into a larger community, one that understands that the journey – the adventure, for this age group – is far more important than the destination.

Summer Training for Junior High Cross Country Runners, Part I

Running is a perfectly natural act that most children engage in. Cross country is an extension of that but - and it's a critically important but - cross country training is not a natural activity. Keep that in mind as we take a look at your junior high school runner and a summer training program.

The first thing to note is that junior high school athletes are not adult athletes.

Their bodies are still growing and developing. As adults, we tend to think of the 13 year old runner as a small, lithe version of ourselves. They are not.

While in the middle of growth spurts where bone length increases, the joints temporarily weaken. The connective tissue and the muscle react to the change in bone length to adapt but they are behind the growth cycle. It's during this period that many young athletes suffer joint injuries.

It's not just the joints that are weak. The growth plates in young runners are very susceptible to stress fractures until they ossify, or harden. The repetitive nature of running, especially when extended far past normal activity levels, enhances the risk of injury.

A longitudinal study of high school runners - not even the less physically mature junior high runner - performed by Dr., Michael Rauh, demonstrated that girls suffered injuries at a rate of nearly 17 injuries per thousand athletic events (AE refers to practices and meets, so a typical 6-8 week season included 36-48 possible events) while boys suffered about eleven. A clear finding from Ruah's study is that girls are at a much higher risk of injury, in large part due to the physiological changes that take place at the hips, increasing the stress on the knees and ankles.

Kids run because it's fun . . .

Adults run for a variety of reasons - competition, weight-loss, relieve stress, pride, the runner's high - but kids run for a single reason. It's fun.

Kids don't train in the same manner that a professional marathoner does. Not only will the body not withstand the stresses for the majority of athletes, their ability to enjoy the activity will degrade.

The single most important goal of any training program must take the play aspect into account. Too often, a parent or coach, seeing an athlete with a high level of prowess, will ramp up the training regimen in an attempt to accelerate the development of the athlete and unintentionally turn running into work.

Kids run too hard, trying to be good too fast

As a parent or coach, we need to be aware that the kids are often the worst judges of their current ability. Many underestimate what they can accomplish and our goal should be to patiently help them test those boundaries.

Some young athletes will overestimate their ability or be too focused on the competition aspect of running. Runners in this camp will need to have someone there to dial them back without hurting the enthusiasm they have and, when they take on too much, show them what they did correctly.

The second part of that equation is getting them to understand that it takes 6-10 years to start reaching their potential. Going slower, building progressively, and understanding that they are a unique individual that will respond to training differently than their peers - high intensity may work better for some runners, high volume for others - will yield better, long-lasting competitive results.

For runners who don't want to compete forever, it will keep it fun and injury-free. That's a winning situation for everybody.

This post is already longer than I anticipated so I'm breaking it down into a couple parts. Friday, we'll move past the cautionary section and take a look at what we, as parents or coaches, can do.

Summer Reading for Runners

For those of you visiting the blog for the first time - which will be the majority of you - thanks! I am assuming that you found your way here from the nice little blurb that Running Times magazine put out in this month's issue. While I knew that there was the potential for a bit of exposure, I was very happy to see the way the folks there presented Finishing Kick.

They also had very nice articles on two other books by very accomplished writers. One, Rachel Toor, lives and works nearby (as we measure things out here - a couple of hours away, at most.) I've already ordered her book, On the Road to Find Out and I'm excited to read it. Runners should have more fiction to call their own.

After I'm done with Rachel Toor's book, I'll move on to Brewster: A Novel" by Mark Slouka. This book has won numerous high honors and I'm looking forward to the change in viewpoint, going from a female protagonist to male, from a contemporary story to one set in 1968.

I also have a slate of  books that I'll be reading to get ready for cross country season. Just as the runners should be putting in the miles (intelligently, please) so the coaches try to get better at what they do. Speaking for myself, I have loads of room for improvement.

Up first is Pat Tyson's Coaching Cross Country Successfully. He's been one of the most successful coaches in the country and again, he's close by at Gonzaga University in Spokane. With this book, I'm looking to become a better assistant to the head coach of the junior high team and develop better skills at teaching the kids running form and good habits. At some point, I may drop. Bashful I'm not. Before I do that, I'll try to absorb everything in his book.

In that same vein, Jason Karp's 101 Developmental Concepts & Workouts for Cross Country Runners"> 101 Developmental Concepts & Workouts should provide a good foundation of material so I can correctly help the athletes to improve. The Asotin JRHS team has a wide range of experience so finding ways to individualize the workouts while maintaining a strong team concept is huge.

Which leads me to my last book as I prep for the season, Bruce Bowen's Teaching Character Through Sport: Developing a Positive Coaching Legacy. While not exclusively a running book, Coach Bowen has tremendous insights on the role of athletics in a young person's life. His organization, Proactive Coaching, has a wealth of materials. The team there travels the country lending their collective wisdom to the coaches, athletes, and parents that they meet. They are one of the few organizations I follow on Facebook. Almost daily, they see an angle or have a positive story that makes me go, "Hmm."

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get out the door for a run. I've got some youngsters who will fly away from me if I don't get my miles in. And running always makes the day go better.

Run gently and have some fun!

Proof of New Book on the way

The proof for Trail of Second Chances is on the way and should be here in a week. Give me two days to make sure I didn't introduce any egregious errors in to the formatting process and we should be ready to put it up for sale.

June 30th publication date holds. If you would like notifications when I have new books coming out, sign up for my newsletter. Since I hate to be pestered, I won't pester you. I only send out newsletters when new stories are ready, when I have something to give away, or when I'm traveling to a different part of the country and available to speak at events.

Marathon Recovery - And a Moose Sighting!

I'm not sure that running at 10,000 feet is the appropriate recovery run but it was fun. The creek at the beginning of Pikes Trail above Breckenridge, Colorado.  

Just a reminder - Mother Nature owns everything you see and, one day, she wants it all back. And Mother Nature is not inclined to say please.

There's still a bit of snow on the trail - and a lot on the peaks.

I was surprised that the trail was so runnable. Since I was in recovery, I didn't push (which is why we have pictures). Walk/run and listening to the body.

Bonus for the day - coming across a momma moose. She let me get close enough to take some pictures but I figured it would be prudent to not close in on the baby. Moose can be incredibly dangerous. Awfully cute, though.

Race Recap for Xterra Turkey Trail Marathon

I'm a little late  getting to the race recap for my marathon this past weekend in Pagosa Springs. The short version is that the race went according to expectations and I hit all my (very modest) goals.

The longer version starts with a late arrival. Adric (that's the dude to the right) and I beat the start gun by about three minutes. We had intended to arrive a bit sooner but one wrong turn and a trip into the wrong set of hills slowed us down. Some really pretty homes on the south side of Pagosa Springs, but we were supposed to be on the north. Fixable and only slightly stressful.

The start included the marathoners and the half-marathoners in a rush along single track. One of the runners near me was laughing that this was a fast way to sort out the fittest - or at least, those with the most flexible ankles.

The volunteers guided us on to the trails and, within a mile or so, we sorted ourselves out into a single file along a winding single track among the ponderosa pine. The first five miles were on a slight downhill, dropping from 8200' of elevation to about 7500'. The footing was pretty good though occasionally a bit rocky. Passing proved to be a bit of a challenge as the sides of the trail were considerably rougher and not all the runners would yield to faster racers.

In my case, since I wasn't going to win any medals for speed, I figured on trying for the Miss Congeniality award. If I heard runners coming up behind, I stepped over and ran along the edges to let them by.

At the first aid station (there were a total of three,) about 3.5 miles in I decided to slide by without stopping since I had plenty of water in my handheld. I had planned on using the handheld for the full race. The weather forecast was for temps getting into the 80's which at altitude is a touch toasty.

I caught up with Adric there and we ran with a lady who was a physical therapist and a young guy who had his black lab for company. At 4.5 miles there was a small pond and the black lab took a fast dip. At this point, things were flowing pretty well and the air under the tree cover was still reasonably cool.

The next aid station was at 6.5 miles - about half way around the loop. A word about the aid stations. The volunteers were just wonderful and showed obvious experience. The stations were laid out like those I used to put together for ultras when I was in San Diego. The talk was the same, too. "Sweet and salty over there," said one of the volunteers, pointing to the potato chips, gummy bears, M&M's. "Gatorade and water," pointing to the other end of the table.

I grabbed two cups of Gatorade and a couple of chips. Interesting side note - to process carbs, you need a little fat. I discovered this the hard way during a 24 hour Ultra in San Diego years ago when I bloated about eight hours in. I needed calories, so I ate some sunflower seeds. The fat settled things down and I kept going.

The second half of the loop was all uphill. I ran more of this than I thought I would be able to, given the altitude. Most of the way I was with a group of about six ladies. One was super-steady and gained on me as we climbed, passing me before the last aid station at the 10 mile mark. I repassed her when things flattened out a bit and we chatted while we ran together.

She mentioned that we were almost done and I admitted that I had another loop to complete. She shook her head. "Just doing the half is kicking my ass," she said and I knew how she felt. Most of the uphill stretch was in direct sunlight and not a cloud in sight.

I hit the halfway mark in about 2;40 - slightly faster than I expected. I ditched my shirt (in full expectation of a sunburn) to drop my heat load.

Blood gets used by the body to move nutrients and oxygen tot he muscles and also gets sent to the skin for cooling. Two jobs, one blood supply, trained at 700' above sea level. Any way I figured it, the next loop was going to be a grunt.

I was about a minute per mile slower on the downhill stretch and I also took a little longer at the aid stations making sure to get enough food and water. I started with the Hammergel at mile 10. Chocolate flavored. I took the packets in slowly, drinking water to cut the mix. At the second visit to the first aid station, I snagged another one and opened it. I sucked down about half of it and put the packet in my pocket.

Mistake. It worked the first couple of times, but this time, I ended up with brown goop running down my thigh. Ick. I washed as well as I could at the same pond that the lab splashed in and motored on. Provided motored on includes switching to a run/walk cycle, the kind I used to use in Ultras.

Bless the folks at the second aid station, they had wet towels and I got the last of the gel off my leg. Stocked up on more gel, water, and some potato chips and headed out.

The next mile would be my last 'good' mile - it was a downhill jog through good tree cover with good footing. When I turned back up, around mile 20, the legs were done. It was perpetual forward progress time. If I couldn't run uphill, I could at least walk with purpose. The trail to the next aid station took more than an hour to grind out. Grinding I can do.

The second loop took 3:20 - almost the same time as my PR marathon. After the first loop, I was hoping that I was wrong on my 6 hour estimate. Without the heat, I might have beaten it. Ah well.

I hit all my goals - to step to the line, to have fun while I was out there, to finish. And to not be last. I did all that. And even though there was no Miss Congeniality award, I made sure to thank all the volunteers. They did an awesome job and were upbeat all day.

Stepping to the line

This post will go live at 8AM on Saturday morning, the same time that I step to the line for my first marathon in seven years.

A lot has changed in the intervening years. Then, I was trying to qualify for Boston. I just missed at Portland that year but set a PR that included a beer stop at mile 23 and Haagen Dazs ice cream at the end. I ran a 3:28.

This race, the Turkey Track Trail Run, is going to be my slowest.

I’m okay with that.

I could make a lot of excuses on why it will be that way. I’m horribly undertrained which is going to hit me hard, probably around mile 16. The race starts at 8200′ of elevation – I live near sea level. Trails are almost always slower than roads. None of that matters.

What matters is that I’m here, race number pinned to my shorts. A year ago I wasn’t sure I would be able to run again. I have gout and I know it’s a popular game to blame people for their health issues, but I’ve had it since adolescence. It’s genetics and, for all the parts of the genetic lottery that I won, this one was a loser.

I also have an immune system that rejects most medications so, other than diet, I didn’t have a way to control the gout. It’s a progressive disease so gradually all my joints were affected. I worked with my doctor, a wonderful and very patient lady, while we got the immune system to react normally, and then she suggested a course of treatment that might work.

Good new, it might work. The bad news was that it could trigger crippling attacks for up to two years even if it did work. By crippling, I mean that when I wasn’t working, I was prone. The doc gave me hydros for the pain at night so I could sleep. They had the opposite effect- once I wasn’t hurting, my natural energy levels soared and I couldn’t sleep. So I stopped taking them except when I needed to get through work and then as rarely as possible. Mostly, I gutted it out.

While I wasn’t working, I wrote, Most of my first novel, Finishing Kick was put on paper during this stretch. Meanwhile, I watched and cheered the local kids racing and gave thumbs up to the weekend joggers covering ground along the river and ached to be able to run again.

Six months into the regimen, the doctor calls. Stop taking the meds, we’ve got questions on kidney and liver function – which is one of the potential side effects.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more depressed. It takes a different kind of willpower to swallow a pill twice a day that you know will be bringing you pain. I had been gutting out the pain with the mental promise to myself that it would be worth it once I could run again. Now that promise was in jeopardy.

A month later, system stabilized again, they put me back on the meds, and, in June of last year, I tried my first run. Half a mile and I was exhausted. But it was a run. Then next one didn’t go any better, nor did the next one. Then I got to a mile, and  two.

Now, a year later with only a few longish runs under my belt and minimal weekly mileage, I’m be attempting a marathon. I mentioned this to a client several weeks ago, an artist who’s moving. She used to run until her body gave out. We talked of that golden feeling, the high,  when you’re working just hard enough that your consciousness feels free to expand to the horizon. Her most creative ideas would visit her on the runs, when her mind was freed. She had tears in her eyes at the memory – and her loss.

The gun should be going off any second now if the race starts on time. I’ll have a little trepidation at the start but that will settle early as the body gets moving.

I’ll also be feeling incredibly lucky and grateful to be stepping to the line, to rejoin my place in the running community, a little further back in the pack than I was. When the race gets hard, and I know that it will, I can remember that ache I had, an artist’s tears, and the joy that comes from such a simple act as running.

Run gently, friends. I’ll see you at the finish. I might be a while but I’m on my way.

Pikes Peak in the Morning

Vacation! Woke up this morning to a view of Pikes Peak which is a fine way to start the day.

Woke up too early though, about 6AM local time (5AM at home) so I don’t think the body has gotten the message that we’re on vacation. I’ll substitute a nap later

The race on Saturday is down in Pagosa Springs, which, if you grab a map (or mapquest but maps are more fun), you’ll note is about four hours from here, just about on the New Mexico border. We’ll be driving down Friday. In the meantime, I’m staying with my friends, Adric and Amanda, just outside of Colorado Springs.

The game plan for the day includes a short run in the Garden of the Gods and a trip to an honest-to-goodness running store for the odds and ends I need for race day. I know the old saw about not changing anything on the day of the marathon but, meh, too bad. After running a fair share of the them and a few ultras, you start figuring out what works – and how to adapt on the move. Handy skill that.

I’ll snag some pictures of the Garden to put up on the blog and FB but probably won’t write about it. I’m fully expecting to suck wind since all my training has been marginally above sea level and I’m now sitting at 8600′.

It’ll be fun.

Washington IIB District 9 Track and Field Championship

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District 9 Chamionship 2014 001 The Steeplechase Pool

The Washington IIB District 9 Track and Field Championship began today in Idaho. To some foreigner from, say, Seattle, that might seem odd but living on top of a border alters the way you look at towns around you. Intellectually, we understand the University of Idaho isn’t in our state, but, in practice, they’re a close neighbor, as is the City of Lewiston.So the event is being held at the recently renovated (2012)Dan O’Brian Trackon the U. of  Idaho campus. Idaho staff demonstrated their competence and were very helpful getting all the systems –power, sound, and such – up for the teams. Field events started promptly at 4PM and the running events were close. The meet is spread over two days to allow the athletes an opportunity to recover from multiple events. The top three go to the State meet.

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District 9 Chamionship 2014 012 Holbrook and Ray 4x200m

The first running event, the women’s 4x200m relay saw Asotin, with Sarah Nicholas anchoring the squad, win handily though DeSales refused to quit. An intense battle between TO-GP and St. John-Endicott for the fourth slot wasn’t decided until the last five meters as Katie Holbrook (TO-GP) and Jazmyn Ray (St. John) swapped placements on the last straightaway, with Holbrook having just a touch more speed at the finish. The ladies at Walla Walla Valley Academy secured third place.

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District 9 Chamionship 2014 014 Womens 3200m

The next event, the women’s 3200m was not nearly as close as Lucy Eggleston (Asotin) ran a smart tactical race in the warm conditions for the first five laps before opening up a large gap on Heather Siegel (St. Johns) and exploding on the last lap. Emily Adams of Waitsburg-Prescott continued her solid freshman season by taking third, headed for State, likely not for the last time.

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District 9 Chamionship 2014 Asotin Crush

The men’s 1600m was dominated by the Asotin squad. Headed into the final lap, Asotin had runners in the top five positions, all poised to break 5:00. Chandler Tiegan led them all from start to finish, virtually unchallenged. Thomas Weakland took second with Brian Strobel uncorking a powerful kick to round out the state entries.

On a side note, one of the Asotin runners went down in the heat. I’d like to thank EJ Meserve of Waitsburg-Prescott. While Cap Perry, the TO-GP coach, seeing the situation, hollered at me to direct me into their camp for water, EJ had already grabbed a cup and was handing it to the Asotin young man. Good and fast thinking for an athlete who, seconds before, had been running the mile. If anybody knows EJ or the Waitsburg coach, give them a thumbs up.

Off to the intermediate hurdles, men first. Owen Lanning (Waitsburg) and Wesley Hendrickson (WWVA) followed up last week’s close race with another beauty, Lanning winning again. I think Sergio Alexis Pena was third but I was distracted by the battle up front and didn’t refocus on time.

In the field events, we led off with women’s javelin, men’s triple jump, men’s shot, and women’s pole vault. For the second half of the afternoon, we flipped men’s events for women’s.

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District 9 Chamionship 2014 Annie Bailey Javelin

Results aren’t up (as yet – I’ll update as new info comes in) on Athletic.net but there was a nice competition in the women’s javelin between Dayton’s Kaitlyn Andrews and Annie Bailey (St. John). Piper Loop was her usual dominating self in the women’s shot and had a good set of puts, perhaps season bests, just in time for the state meet. Skylar Olsen (Desales) looked good, too. Emily Adams (Waitsburg) showed surprising (to me, at least) hops in the women’s triple jump. Olivia Pakootas looked good but the couple of jumps I saw were a little short of her usual but I only caught two of the six jumps as I drifted to the men’s javelin.

Update: Kaitlyn Andrews (Dayton) edged out Olivia Pakootas by 4" to win the triple jump. Rachel Gfeller (St John) took third and is headed to State.

Cody Whitmore, if I heard correctly, blasted a javelin throw of 150+ feet which would be a new PR for the young man. Update: Cody threw 153'08" while brother Dirk threw 149'02".  Dayton Krull completed the sweep for Asotin. 

The men’s shot put was very competitive with the Waitsburg men putting pressure on a traditional Asotin strength in the power event. Nate Barlow and Zion Branson (Waitsburg) took second and third while Jacob Swearingen (Asotin) won.

That’s it for now. I’ll get numbers into the report when I have them.

Thanks to Sal Lopez for giving me permission to get on the infield to take some of these photos. He called me 'media'. You guys deserve better but, still, we're making progress.

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